Multiple tray for baby food



M. LIGUORI MULTIPLE TRAY FOR BABY FOOD July 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1958 H INVENTOR.

MICHAEL LIGUQRI n II It.

I Li

A TTOAPNZF July 26, 1960 M. LlGUORl MULTIPLE TRAY FOR BABY FOOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1958 INVENTOR.

MICHAEL. L-IGUORI ATTOPNEY Unite States Patent MULTIPLE TRAY FOR BABY FOOD Michael Liguori, 196 Paterson Ave., Lodi, NJ.

Filed Nov. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 771,978

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-77) This invention concerns a multiple tray for rotatably holding a number of containers, especially jars of baby food or the like.

In feeding infants it is often necessary to spoon out a teaspoonful of food from a plurality of diiferentfood jars in succession. This is difiicult for a person feeding the infant to do since at the same time that the several jars are picked up and held it is necessary to hold the infant so that he does not move his head while being fed.

This ditficultyis solved by the present invention in the provision of a stand carrying a multiplicity of trays which are rotatable on the stand. Each tray carries a plurality of jars in such a manner that a person feeding an infant can spoon food out of each jar without the necessity of manipulating the jar at all. In addition, a

ratchet arrangement can be provided whereby the jar being used will be positionable at a selected distance from the user and will hold this position until the user advances the tray to another position for removing food from another jar.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a stand for a multiplicity of rotatable trays each adapted to carry a plurality of cylindrical jars.

A still further object is to provide a stand of the character described with a detent means for selectively positioning a rotatable tray carried on the stand.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stand embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the stand.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the stand.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of another stand including a ratchet structure, for limiting rotation of a tray thereon.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1-3, there is shown a stand 10 including a base formed with a plurality of radiating legs 11 provided with friction feet or pads 18. The legs radiate from a central hub 20 in which is anchored a stem or post 12. The post stands rigidly and immovably upright from the hub and is secured in aperture 22 by an expansion of the lower end of the post. This expansion may be accomplished by a wedge or tapered pin 24 driven into the bottom of the post.

The stand is provided with an upper rotatable tray 14 and a lower tray 13. Each tray is circumferentially scalloped in form and is provided with shallow cylindrical recesses 15. The bottoms of the recesses have central openings 16. These openings facilitate removing jars from the recesses. The jars such as shown at 25 in dotted "ice lines in Fig. 2 fit snugly in the recesses 15 and are held' frictionally by the cylindrical walls so that they do not tip over or slip out. They are removed only by exertion of some considerable force to overcome the frictional grip of the recesses. Tray 13 has an aperture 26 therein through which passes the post 12. A boss 28 is formed on or secured to the bottom of tray 13 and serves as a spacer member with respect to the hub 20 of the base.- Tray 13 is manually rotatable on post 12 with respect to the stationary base.

Tray 14 has an aperture 27 and a boss 30 centrally disposed underneath the tray. This boss also may be integrally formed with the tray or secured thereto by cement, nails, or the like. Tray 14 is rotatable on a pin 32 extending diametrally through one of several spaced diametral holes 34 in post 12. The pin 32 canbe inserted in any one of the holes 34 to raise or lower the tray 14 as desired and to allow more or less room for the jars disposed on tray 13 as well as to dispose tray 14 in an optimum position for spooning food from jars which may be mounted thereon.

A head 36 is removably attached to the top of post 12. The head can be provided with a threaded or smooth bore 40 and may have a setscrew 38 for securely retaining the head on the post, Whose upper end will be lodged in bore 40. The head 36 is removable so that more than one tray like tray 14 can be placed on the post or so that either tray 13 or 14 can be removed. A ring handle 42 may be integrally joined to the head for convenience in carrying the assembled stand.

Although the stand 10 is shown in the drawing as made of wood, it can be made of metal, plastic, glass, or other suitable material.

In Figs. 4-8, in modified stand 10, the tray 13 is substantially identical with that of stand 10. Other similar parts of stand 10*- are identically numbered to corresponding parts of stand 16. Stand 10 is provided with a post 12 which may have a larger diameter than post 12 although this is not strictly necessary. Cylindrical pin 32 is positionable in any one of spaced holes 34 in the post. Boss 30 underneath tray 14 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves 45. The grooves are substantially semicircular in cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. Between the grooves are ridges 46 radiating from central recess 49. By raising the tray 14 along the post 12 until the ridges 46 clear the pin 32, the tray may readily be rotated and then dropped onto the pin and held in adjusted position. Thus, the pin 32 together with grooves 45 and ridges 46 constitute a detent type of arrangement. The tray 14 is held in any position in which it is set, yet it can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise as desired so that any particular recess 15 with its jar 25 can be located in the most convenient position for spooning food therefrom.

The device thus provided prevents waste and spillage of food since the user need not handle the jars 25 once they are seated in the recesses 15. The trays turn at the will of the 'user. The heavier the trays are loaded the greater is the frictional restraining force which must be overcome to turn tray 14*. A similar effect is encountered with tray 13 in which the frictional contact of the bottom of boss 28 on hub 20 restrains the tray from too free movement so that the tray remains in any position set. The ridge and groove arrangement of boss 30*, however, provides a more effective positioning of the tray. The tray 14 with its pin 32 as shown in Figs. l-3 will turn most freely of all. If desired, a tray like tray 14 with a fiat bottomed boss 30 can be mounted on post 12 in addition to the trays 13 and 14.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein 3 disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made Within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 1. -A- multiple tray holder for containers, comprising a base adapted for mounting on a support, a central post rigidly'fixed to and upstanding from said base, a plurality of generally flat trays having scalloped peripheral Walls set one above another and rotatable on the post, a plurality of recesses formed in each of the trays for frictionally receiving one of said containers, each 'of said recesses having an apertured bottom to facilitate removal of a jar from a recess, each of the trays having an apertured depending boss providing a friction-bearing surface for restraining rotation of the tray on the post, said post having a plurality of spaced diametral holes therein, a pin extending through one of the holes and extending radially from opposite sides of the post, the uppermost of said trays being supported on said pin, the boss on the uppermost tray having a series of circumferentially spaced grooves and ridges at the bottom thereof, said pin being lodged in two diametrally aligned grooves, said grooves, ridges and pin constituting a detent arrangement for positively and selectively positioning said uppermost tray on the post.

2, A multiple tray holder for containers, comprising a base adapted for mounting on a support, a central post rigidly fixed to and upstanding from said base, a plurality of generally flat trays having scalloped peripheral Wall's set one above another androtatable on the post, a plurality of recesses formed in each of the trays for frictionally receiving one of said containers, each of said recesses having an apertured bottom to facilitate removal of a jar from a recess, each of the trays having an apertured depending boss providing a friction-bearing surface for restraining rotation of the tray on the post, said base being provided with a flat hub and radiating legs, a friction foot secured to each of the legs, said hub providing a support for the lowermost of said trays, said post having a plurality of spaced diametral holes therein, a pin extending through one of the holes and extending radially from opposite sidesofthe post, the uppermost of said trays being supported 6n" said pin; the boss on the uppermost tray being a circular member haying a series of circumferentially spaced grooves and ridges at the bottom thereof, said pin being lodged in two diametrally aligned grooves, said grooves, ridges and pin constituting a detent arrangement for positively and selectively positioning said uppermost tray on the post.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,860 Lawson Mar. 12, 1867 62,903 Stewart Mar. 12, 1867 67,354 Rosenkranz July 30, 1867 178,184 Newell May 30, 1876 304,385 Weaver Sept. 21, 1884 844,754 Sardou Feb. 19, 1907 1,570,651 Topping Jan. 26, 192.6 1,890,420 Smith Dec. 6, 1932 2,071,290 Scriba Feb. 16, 1937 2,406,334 Keller Aug. 27, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,299 Great Britain of 1880 47,925 Switzerland June 7, 1909 

